I am seeing more and more varieties and brands of hot sauce in stores and online than I have ever seen. At one point I thought it was just my personal interest in trying new sauces and testing my palate but research shows it growing. I would actually like to enter the hot sauce business as an entrepreneur but I am not sure if this is a good time or not. What is the projected hot sauce consumption for the next decade?
Market reports suggest a continued growth of hot sauce consumption through out 2020 and it will continue to grow through to 2026. The hot sauce market has grown by 1% from 2019 to 2020 globally but is projected to increase over the next six years. Hot sauce production has increased by 5.1% over the last five years.
Why is hot sauce so popular?
With the increasing influx of immigrants from Asia Pacific and South America they have brought their cuisine, which predominantly features spicy foods. The increased introduction of such foods has led the average household to try such bold flavors and they are becoming staple meals in restaurants. Large manufactures are exploring these regions with increased popularity of hot sauces and producing sauces that cater to the needs of the increased migrant population. This also triggers a unique blend of flavor offerings and these companies will produce an expansion brand of an already popular selling sauce. An astonishing 22,000 new products featuring hot and spicy foods were introduced in 2017 alone.
Also, statistics show that millennial’s have developed a taste for hot sauces and spicy cuisines from the increase of eating out in ethnic restaurants. This is a large generation and they expected to catapult the hot sauce industry for the next six years.
Nutrition and Flavor are expected to be the focus through 2020 and there will certainly be more interesting flavors introduced. More and more manufactures both large and small are exploring different hot sauce flavor combinations and are using their branding as a way to introduce them. International flavors were the trend of 2019 including influences from Africa, the Middle East and Asia and this will continue through 2020 as well.
Domestic increase in hot sauce consumption and pop culture references.
Artisan sauces that combine fruity flavors and unique spices are popping up at arts festivals and craft food fairs across the US. There are so many YouTube videos of people eating super spicy sauces or having a hot sauce challenge. Game shows featuring celebrities consuming hot sauces and filming their reactions has become an amusement by many to watch. Show like the Simpsons feature Bart consuming what appears to be Sriracha brand hot sauce. Some more popular brands have accessories like phone cases, shoes and are combined with potato chip flavors as well. I love this Sriracha hoodie available at Walmart.com.
Show like the Simpsons feature Bart consuming what appears to be Sriracha brand hot sauce. Some more popular brands have accessories like phone cases, shoes and are combined with potato chip flavors as well. I love this Sriracha hoodie available at Walmart.com.
What is the projected hot sauce consumption for the next 5 years? 10 years?
The consumption of hot sauce is expected to go throughout the United States and globally. There has been increasing growth in consumption and it continues to grow throughout Asia and Latin America. Hot sauce consumption is expected to reach 3.77 billion by 2026.
Will people ever stop eating hot sauce?
Unlike specialized diets or trendy foods, the consumption of hot sauce throughout out the world has only increased. I consider hot sauce a condiment and everyone loves to drown their food in condiments. I like hot sauce for its flavor. I almost always choose a medium heat and use it sparingly on my food. Hot sauce is more popular in some cultures than others but it will increasing become more popular in America. There are no known health risks related to hot sauce consumption and most brands have little or no calories. While Americans continue to practice health conscious eating habit the hot sauce industry is not negatively effected.
What would affect the increase or decrease of hot sauce consumption?
Like all produce across the continents the weather and other natural disasters could affect the growth of hot peppers, hence having an effect on the production of hot sauce. Due to the many regions in which you can grow peppers this is highly unlikely to halt all hot sauce manufacturing. The need to import chilies domestically could drive the costs. I have grown peppers from seeds and from plants and the weather is certainly always a factor. Hot pepper plants prefer hot dry and sunny conditions like the native conditions of Mexico.
Asia is a top producer of chili peppers and then Mexico, Turkey and Indonesia. The US has been in the top five globally of the highest producing countries of chilies. Specifically the top states being New Mexico, California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio, North Carolina and Michigan.
Are hot peppers imported or exported?
Franks Red Hot uses a pepper from the cayenne region of French Guiana in South America to give its unique flavor. New Mexico produces nearly half of the chilies grown in the US. 8,000 to 10,000 acres harvested annually. An easy method of tracking the import / export of hot peppers is by the weekly pricing differences of each variety of hot peppers according The US International Trade Commission.
Are hot peppers grown in green houses?
A long growing season is the secret to growing hot peppers. A greenhouse can reproduce these conditions which is why they are often grown in green houses. Increased greenhouse growing facilities has decreased the threat of the global effects of pepper growing.
How does hot sauce rank among other condiments?
According to FoodBeast hot sauces rank on the top 25 for condiment sales and the top manufacturers are Franks, Tabasco, Cholula and Texas Pete’s. Compared to other condiments the hot sauce market grew by 150% between 2000 and 2015. New Hope Network states the hot sauce industry is showing no signs of slowing down.
The hot sauce business is heavily saturated with popular name brands being available in store chain through out the nation, convenience stores at every corner and online stores available globally. Statistics show that that hot sauce consumption is on the rise and people love trying new products. Festival and online store are a great way to introduce and test your new product without investing years of your time or thousands of dollars.
Is 2020 a good year to start a hot sauce business?
Your opportunities for a successful hot sauce business are better than ever and there are two simple factors to keep in mind.
1. Have a great, unique product
2. Market it locally and globally
I have heard people say if they package crap properly they can sell it. I’ve always said if you have a great product it will sell itself. Also, I have to really love what I am producing. If you can’ t stand behind your product who will?
You can’t just produce mass quantities of a product and have it sit there…get the word out. Marketing your product is essential and marketing it to the correct audience could make or break your business. Starting a hot sauce business in 2020 could show success for the future.
